Valve-cap for atttomobile-tibes



T. D. MILLEA. VALVE CAP FOR AUTOMOBILE, TIRE'S.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1918- Patented June 10, 1919.

WM n

rrioivms ID. MILLEA, or srnmermw, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE-CAP FOR AUTOMOBILE-TIRES.

Application filed May 7, 1918. Serial No. 232,995.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS D. MILLEA, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-.

siding at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inValve-Caps for AutomobileTires, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for deflatingpneumatic tires and for closing the end of a valve'stem of theusualSchrader valve construction. At the present time the usual methodemployed for releasing the air from'\ the inner tube of a pneumatic tireis to press downward on the protruding end of the valve stem proper bymeans of the tapered projection or extension on the upper end of thevalve stem capand holding it there until the air is released. Thisoperation is not only slow, but is difficult to carry out, especially atnight, unless the valve can be readily observed by the operator. Othermeans for deflating a tire is to force the valve stem downward by meansof a small implement, as a screw driver, or even a match is sometimesused.

An object of the invention is to so construct-the closing cap of thevalve stem, whereby the projection or extension thereof may be pushedinto the upper end of the valve stem and be automatically retained inthis position by means of friction alone.

The invention broadly consists in securingan abutment or stop elementdirectly within the opening or recess of the projection of the valvestem cap, whereby when the projection of the cap is forced into thevalve stem, the abutment in the recess will engage the upper end of thevalve stem and force the valve open as the cap is pushed inward. Onemethod of accomplishing this object is to slit the projection of thevalve cap on opposite sides thereof, then force the two halves of theslitted stem outward so that the extreme outside diameter of the twohalves of the projection is slightly greater than the internal diameterof the stem, the two halves of the projection being sufiicientlyresilient-to cause the projection to remain in place in the end of thehollow valve stem after being forced into the same. Another method ofaccomplishing the above object is to place a plurality of elasticfingers around the projection of the valve cap or on the outside of it;these elastic fingers will engage the threads on the upper end andoutside of the valve stem. An abutment is also pro- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

vided in the opening of the prpjection of the cap to engage the upperend of the valve stem already referred to.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevat1onal view of the usual valve stem cap with theprojection or extension on its upper end slitted, and, showing in dottedlines, the abutment located therein, and the two halves of the slittedprojection sprung outward.

Fig. 2 is a detail viewof one form of the abutment, which is placedwithin the opening of the valve stem cap.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on a plane passing through the axisof the hollow valve stem and showing the usual Schrader valveconstruction, also the projection of the cap inserted'within the stemand the abut-' ment engaging the valve stem and holding the valve open.

Fig. 4 is a modification of the cap having a plurality of elasticfingers located around the projection of the cap.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the abutment construction. r I

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of fur-- ther modifications of thecap,

Referring to the drawin in detail: The usual Schrader hollow vafi e stemis indicated at 1, having the interiorly threaded portion 2 at its upperend. 3 indicates the vusual externally threaded block of thevalveconstruction that is threaded into portion '2,- for holding the usualSchrader valve in place,'the stem of the valve proper is indicated at 4.5 indicates the valve cap for closing the upper end of the hollow valvestem 1, which is formed with the usual projection or extension 6. Thiscap is threaded on the inside as indicated at 7 which threads engage thethreads 8 in the usual manner.

Coming now to one form of my specific improvement, the projection 6 ofthe valve cap 5. is slitted on its opposite sides as indicated at 9,thus' forming the two flexible fingers 6 and 6 the termination of theslits being at 9. This projection, after being slitted to form the twoflexible fingers, is then bent outward as indicated by the dotted lineslOshown in Fig. 1, and in full lines as shown in Fig. 3. The purpose offorcing these two halves .of the slitted proje'ction' 6 outward is tomake the diameter of the outer surface of the projection slightlygreater than the internal diameter of the internally to retain the capin place as shown in Fig. 3.

F or the purpose of holding the stem 4: of

above the disk shaped member 12 is a rubber packing 14. It will benoticed that the cap 5 is formed with an opening 15 through which thestem or projection 11 extends.

Referring to the operation of the device, it will be noticed that theelastic fingers 6 and 6 of the slitted projection 6, are forced downwardinto the threaded opening of the hollow valve stem 1. The abutment orproj ection 11 engages the upper end of the valve stem 4 of the valve 5,as indicated at 13. The valve 5 is forced downward into its openposition, allowing the air in the inner tube to escape. tionalengagement between the fingers 6 and 6 and the interiorly threadedportion 2 the cap is retained in place in the body of the stem 1. Theair can now escape past the valve seat 16 through the passageway 17 andout through the slitted opening 9 of the cap 5. If it is desired toremove the valve 5 from the hollow valve stem 1, the projection 18 onthe block 3 is engaged by the notched or cut out part 9 in theprojection 6 of the valve cap, by rotating the cap 5 toward the left inthe usual manner.

Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 4, instead of providingdevices to engage the inner or threaded part 2 of the stem 1, the cap 5is provided with a plurality of'elastic fingers 26, which, as shown inthis figure, are three in number. The distance between the fingers issuch that they will pass over and engage the outer I threaded part 8 ofthe valve stem 1.- The fingers 20 may be made integral with the part 21as shown, which part is formed with an opening to receive the projection6, that is turned downward to a suitable diameter or neck portion at itsbase, in order to receive the opening in the part 21, whereby the cap 5and the projection 6 may be rotated independently of the fingers 20. Inthis construction the. projection, or abutment 11, already referred toin connection with Figs. 1, 2, 3, is employed to force the valve stem 4of the valve 5' downward when the elastic fingers 20 are pushed on tothe outer threaded part 8. These fingers will frictionally engage thesethreads and hold the cap in place and the valve 5 open until all of theair has escaped.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the abut- By reason of the fric mentconstruction in which the abutment 11 instead of being secured to thedisk 12 is'secured directly to the usual cup-shaped packing retainingmember 22. This member and the abutment part 11 is then inserted in thecap with the part 11 extending into the usual opening in the projection6 of the cap.

From this description it will be seen that I have constructed a devicefor automatically retaining the valve open Without further assistancefromthe operator by simply forcing the projection of the cap downwardonto the threaded part of the hollow valve stem 1. The device,therefore, embodies in itself a unitary structure which combines notonly a cap for closing the end of the stem 1, but a tire deflatingdevice as well.

Referring to the modification of the cap shown in Figs. .6 and 7 theprojection 6 of the cap 5, instead of having a separate piece orabutment inserted within the hollow projection 6 between the parts 6 and6 is drilled from. the under side forming the recessed opening 25,producing the shoulder 26 at its bottom or outer end portion. The outerend of the projection 6 is formed with the usual cut-out part 27 forreceiving the projection on the upper end of the plug 3. Between theends of the bored out part 25 and the cut-out part 27 is formed a bridgeof solid metal indicated at 28. After the recess 25 is bored in theprojection 6, it is then slitted,'or "a kerf 29 is formed by means of asaw. This kerf or slit, it will be noticed,

and 6 is inserted in the threaded end of the valve stem or casing 1,the'end 1 of the valve stem 4: proper will engage the bridge piece 28.It should be stated that after the projection 6 is slitted, the twofingers 6 and 6 may be slightly bent outward as shown in dottedlines,'in the same manner as indicated in Fig. 3 in order to cause thefingers to engage the internal threads of the stem 1 with sufficientpressure to frictionally hold the cap 5 in position and the valve 5'open, and also to prevent the cap 5 from being blown outward by means ofthe air pressure in the tire. Instead of bending the fingers 6 and 6outward, lugs 31 may be formed on the outer surface of the projection,or extension 6, as shown in Fig. 6. These lugs will engage the threads 2on the inner surface of the stem 1, it being understood that they exertsufficient pressure to retain the cap 5 in place, the valve 5' open, andso that the cap will not be blown outward. These projections will serveto force the fingers 6' and 6 toward each'other to partially close theopening in the bridge piece 28 to prei of a hollow valve stem and anintegral projection on the upper side thereof and having a recesstherein, of a slitted abutment located within the recessed projection ofthe cap for engaging the uppermost end of the stem of the valve properfor retaining the valve open when the stem is engaged and pusheddownward by the abutment ofthe cap and means comprising spring fingersintegral with the cap for engaging the internally threaded valve stemfor automatically retaining the cap in its position after the valve hasbeen opened.

2. A cap for valve stems of pneumatic tires, said cap having ahollowprojection at one end and an interiorly threaded portion at its oppositeend, an abutment located within the hollow projection, said projectionhaving slitted elastic fingers for frictionally engaging the threads ofthe valve stem whereby when the fingers are inserted within the upperthreaded end of the hollow valve inclosing stem, the abutment willengage the stem of the valve proper to maintain the valve open, wherebythe compressed air within the tube may escape, as described.

3. A cap for the purpose described, comprising in combination, a hollowvalve-stem closing end portion, means in the usual integral hollowprojecting end of a Schrader valve cap comprising a slitted abutment (orprojection) for engaging the end of the stem of the valve proper foropening the valve when the hollow projecting end is inserted in theinternally threaded end of the hollow valve stem, and means forproducing frictional resistance between the projecting end and the innersurface of the valve inclosing stem for retaining the projection inplace in said stem for the purpose of holding the abutment against thestem of the valve to maintain the valve open. 7

4. A device for the purpose described, comprising a member forming partof the usual projection of a valve cap and being slitted to form elasticfingers, an abutment or part in said projection, said fingers serving asmeans for frictionally retaining the device in place in the outerinteriorly threaded end of the usual hollow valve inclosing stem,whereby the abutment or part will engage the upper end of the stem ofthe valve proper to retain the valve open.

5. A device for the purpose described,

comprising a member having a recessed extension portion, a stop orabutment at the bottom of said portion, the outer end of said portionhaving an opening constituting notches to receive the projection on theupper end of the block member of an ordinary Schrader valve, saidextension being slitted, the width of the slit being less than thediameter of the stem of the valve proper, means to cause the slittedrecessed extension to frictionally engage the internally threaded end ofthe valve casing for retaining the device in place, said abutment whichengages the end of the valve stem consisting of a bridge-piece. forretaining the valve open, as described.

6. A cap for closing the end of a valve inclosing casing of the Schradertype, said cap having a hollow extension portion, the sides of theextension being slitted, a bridge piece in the extension and spacedinward from the end of the extension, the slitted part extending fromthe bridge piece to the body of the cap and the width of the slit beingless than the diameter of the stem of the valve proper, said extensionhaving oppositely disposed parts for the purpose of frictionallyretaining the extension within the internally threaded end of thecasing, whereby the valve may be held open as described.

7. As an article of manufacture, a device for closing the end of thevalve inclosing casing for retaining the valve proper open when placedin an inverted position within the casing, and for serving as a wrenchto remove the valve from the casing, said article having an extensionwith a recessed portion therein for removing the plug of the valve, thesides of the extension being slitted to form elastic finger-likemembers, and-having a recessed portion with an abutment in the extensionto engage the end of. the valve stem proper for opening the valve whenin the inverted position, said elastic fingers frictionally engaging theinternal threads in the valve inclosing casing, for retaining .theprojection in place on the end of the stem of the valve proper forholding the valve open in order to allow the confined air of the innertube to escape.

THOMAS D. MILLEA.

